


Lies Under Your Skin

by trucywrights



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, M/M, Slow Burn, Soulmates, for the saiouma at least, it's not really an au it fits itself into canon except it diverges a tad, kokichi ouma is a little shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-07-28 21:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16249787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trucywrights/pseuds/trucywrights
Summary: "You're my soulmate. If I can't believe in you...what's left for me to believe in?"(AU where everything written on your skin shows up on your [romantic] soulmate, ft. ultimate anxiety saihara and gals being pals. takes place within the killing game, there's lots of banter but this will probably get angsty because no one knows how to communicate)





	1. Written in Ink

“ _I need your help. I’ve been kidnapped._ ”

Shuichi stares at the words, bold against his pale skin in dark blue ink. With a deep sigh, he looks at the clock. It’s been about fifteen minutes since he wrote the message. He supposes he shouldn’t have expected his soulmate to respond--after all, he hadn’t gotten any response for the last seven years. He couldn’t fathom why. At first, he had considered the possibility that his soulmate was dead. He’d once had a classmate lose their soulmate in that way. That didn’t seem possible, though; his soulmate never directly communicated with him, but every so often he would still find ink smudges on his hands or arms, even on days when he hadn’t written anything himself. For whatever reason, he was being ignored. Despite that knowledge, as long as his soulmate was alive, his hopes never seemed to dwindle. And, of course, they had decided as a group to all attempt to communicate with their soulmates in hopes of reaching the outside world. He picked up the open pen lying on his desk once more, rolling up his sleeve.

“ _I_ _know you aren’t keen on responding to these messages. But if there was ever a situation that might warrant a response, now would be it. I can’t contact anyone else. I was knocked out and woke up trapped inside this ‘Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles’ with fifteen other students from Hope’s Peak. I don’t know what’s going on, but the bear is telling us we can’t escape unless we kill someone. It sounds too preposterous to believe, I know, and I don’t think anyone is going to play along. But I also don’t know what’s going to happen. If you know anything, or anyone that’s gone missing...I need to know._ ”

This had to be news, right? After all, it was Hope’s Peak Academy. He briefly wondered if his soulmate had seen his picture as a missing person on T.V. Would he find him attractive? Hold up, this was NOT the most important thing for him to be thinking about right now….but for some reason, everything about his school life feels so fuzzy. Why did he feel like the killing game was so familiar? With the arm not covered in ink, he rubs his temples in frustration. He looks down. Still nothing.

….” _Please._ ”

It hadn’t always been like this. He had talked to his soulmate before. Quite a few times, actually, when they were both young. If they hadn’t, he’s not sure his bubbling curiosity would have ever settled. He had been anxious to meet his soulmate well before he learned to write, when the only interaction they had was through colorful doodles left for the other to see. But despite being so eager, he was still rather shy. He had no idea how to even start a conversation with the one you were destined to love. Looking back on it, he probably didn’t even know what love truly meant at that stage of his life. But that didn’t change how elated he had felt when he received his first real greeting...

 

* * *

  
At six years old, Shuichi Saihara was sitting contentedly at his desk in the back corner of the room, surrounded by his kindergarten classmates. Their teacher had given them time to draw whatever they wished on their hands. Every so often they did this--apparently it was an exercise to foster creativity and open communication between soulmates, especially since many of them could not properly write. So he had grabbed blue, yellow, and green markers, and was focused on sketching what could potentially be recognized as a flower on the back of his palm. His concentration only broke when he noticed a new color--a rich violet--creeping into the periphery of his vision. When he glanced further, his mouth dropped agape at the new writing on his skin.

“ _Hi!! :^)_ ”

Shuichi was so startled that he dropped the marker in his hand. He fumbled to quickly pick up another one, hoping his teacher wouldn’t notice that he hadn’t cleaned up after himself. “ _Are you my solemate?_ ” he wrote in sloppy blue handwriting.

“ _Probably! Nice to meetcha!_ ” The new message appeared to be written out methodically. The handwriting looked just like the templates his teacher would give them to trace over when they learned the alphabet. He doesn’t think about it too much, quickly scribbling back in excitement.

“ _Are you in class too? I’m in kindurgarden._ ”

“ _I’m 6, so yeah, but not today! Dad’s mad, so I don’t wanna leave my room. But I’m bored just sitting in here, so I thought I’d say hi to you!_ ”

Shuichi was confused by that remark. “ _Why can’t you leave?_ ”

“ _What’s your name?_ ”

“ _Shuichi Saihara. I’m 6 years old! What’s yours?_ ”

“ _It’s a secret!_ ”

“ _Huh?_ ”

“ _Telling you won’t make it fun when I meet you! I want you to find out for yourself!_ ”

What was that supposed to mean? “ _Then why did you ask for my name?_ ”

“ _I didn’t say I wanted to find out for myself, too. I like to know stuff early. It’s less dangerous that way._ ”

“ _Dangerous?_ ”

“ _Hey, wanna play a game? Let’s play Hangman!_ ”

 

* * *

 

And so they did. They played their games, on and off as it were, for quite some time. Other times, Shuichi had tried writing to them, and never got a reply. His soulmate only ever seemed to reply on their own terms. Until at some point, they simply stopped replying at all. He had always been worried about the little quips his soulmate threw out. It’s possible they could be in danger, or were being threatened not to talk. The thought made the pit of his stomach churn with worry. But what upset him even more than the thought that his soulmate could be in harm’s way...was that he could do absolutely nothing about it. He called himself a detective, but he couldn’t deduce who his soulmate was after years of searching. It didn’t surprise him that his soulmate didn’t want to reply to a worthless idiot like him. He continued ruminating on the thoughts for some time, until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Was that…..?

His jaw dropped once more, the pen clacking as it fell out of his hand and onto the floor. On his palm was something he had not written himself. But it wasn’t a message of words.

It was a drawing of Monokuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my first real attempt at a multi-chapter fic, so i hope you'll enjoy it!! it's gonna be a long one so buckle yourself in boys


	2. Earlier That Day With a Side of Lesbian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> obligatory kaemaki chapter commence

Today had been...a day.

When Kaede had woken up, she found herself trapped inside the locker of an empty classroom. Empty apart from another student in the locker next to hers: the Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara. Both of them remembered being kidnapped the same way! What’s more, so did everyone else they eventually met up with in the gym. That had been a truly panicked meeting. And after their attempts to escape through the underground exit, thinking about it made it feel exhausted to her very core. Despite her efforts, she had only been able to get the group to agree on one thing…

 

* * *

 

“You guys! Are you really okay with not getting out of this place!?” Kaito shouted, chastising the group for letting their spirits be broken by the impossible escape.

Kokichi smiled in response, raising a coy finger to his lips. “We shouldn’t have to push ourselves...Let’s just find another way out, okay?”

“What!?” Kaede gasped. She wouldn’t distrust any of her new friends, but hearing Kokichi say that so readily was….worrying.

“...You’re talking about the killing game, aren’t you?” Rantaro asked.

“Oh, so you’re gonna interpret it like that, huh?” Kokichi responds nonchalantly. Suddenly, gears are turning in Kaede’s brain.

“Wh-What are you saying!? There’s no way we can do the killing game!” Tenko shouts from the side.

Ouma laughed. “Niishishi...Calm down. Want some bubble gum? You can blow pretty big bubbles with it.”

“Oh-hoho….Looks like this little degenerate wants his head smashed into the ground.” the girl growled with an intimidating stature.

“S-stop, guys, we shouldn’t be fighting…” Shuichi intervenes.

“Wait, guys. Ouma-kun might be on to something.” Kaede chimes in.

“What!? Kaede, you too?!” Kaito yells.

“No, no, I don’t mean through the killing game!” she quickly backtracks. “...But there’s another way we can contact the outside world. How did we not think of this earlier?”

It’s Tsumugi whose eyes light up in recognition first. “Oh! You mean our soulmates!”

“Yeah, exactly! If we can write to them, they might be able to send help our way!” Kaede pumps her fist in the air.

“That’s...not a bad idea, actually. My soulmate’s always real quick about writing me back.” Kaito says, seeming to calm a bit.

“I concur. There is a possibility we have already been reported as missing persons. Our soulmates could pass information on to the authorities.” Kirumi notes.

“Oh! Anyone have pen!?” Gonta eagerly agrees.

“Whoa there, big guy! Don’t you think it’s a little too personal to spill our hearts out to the love of our lives all in the open like this?” says Kokichi.

“You’re one to talk. You probably don’t even have a soulmate.” Himiko retorts from the back of the group, pulling her hat further down her forehead.

“How cruel! I--”

“No, he’s right.” Rantaro nods. “I do think it’s a good idea for us all to attempt contacting our soulmates, but let’s give everyone some privacy, yeah? On the off chance mine actually responds….it’ll be the first time they’ve ever written to me.”

“Oh, Amami-kun…” Tsumugi says softly.

“You all can do what you want. My soulmate...isn’t in this world anymore.” Ryoma says solemnly before turning his back on the group and climbing up the ladder.

“Hoshi-kun, wait!” Shuichi calls after him. But he’s not listening, and soon he’s out of their line of vision. The group spends a moment looking at each other silently.

“....Well, let’s all try writing our soulmates on our own tonight. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow and discuss what we find out over breakfast?” Kaede suggests.

“I hate the idea of spending a night here...but that’s probably our best option at this point.” Maki frowns.

 

* * *

 

And so they had split up for the night, each returning to their respective rooms. Kaede had flopped onto her mattress as soon as she walked through the door. She pulled a pink glitter pen out of her pocket and rolled up her sleeve. To her surprise, a message was already waiting for her.

“ _You still up?_ ” it read, in its usual plain handwriting.

Kaede smiled. It always made her happy when her soulmate sent a greeting her way. Usually, she had to initiate the conversations herself. Her soulmate wasn’t the most talkative, she’d learned; in fact, she often avoided talking out of fear that it would reveal too much information. Kaede didn’t know what that meant, but her soulmate had assured her that her job was dangerous, and that knowing her name or profession would only put Kaede in danger. While Kaede certainly wasn’t happy to settle for that, she could also tell that it was greatly important to her soulmate. She wasn’t going to force it. Shaking aside her sidetracked thoughts, she uncapped her pen and began to write in flowing cursive.

“ _I’m so glad you wrote me! I need to talk to you about something important._ ”

“ _That’s strange. So do I._ ”

Worry began to cloud Kaede’s mind. Her soulmate almost always dismissed her own problems, telling Kaede not to concern herself with her daily life. So what could be so important that her soulmate actually needed to confide in her about it?

“ _Okay. You go first._ ”

It was a long time before she got a completed response. Twenty minutes, to be exact. “ _I don’t know what happened, but I got kidnapped. I’m trapped in something they’re calling a ‘killing game.’_ ”

Kaede blinked down at the message. Then again. Nope, it definitely said what she thought it did. “ _No way._ ” she wrote.

“ _You don’t believe me?_ ”

“ _No, you don’t get it. I’m here too._ ”

A pause. “ _Akamatsu-san?_ ”

No way. Noooooo way. This was not happening. “ _How did you know it was me???_ ”

“ _I can’t imagine anyone else here playing as much piano as you do._ ”

She had a point. It was always a habit of hers to use her arm like a diary, which definitely included rants about her piano concerts. Not to mention all the times she had responded to her soulmate hours too late with a sorry excuse of ‘I was playing piano, whoops!’ As she lay flabbergasted, a follow-up response appeared on her forearm.

“ _Do you want to meet up?_ ”

“ _Who are you?_ "

“ _I don’t want to make a scene in the dormitory. Let’s meet in the courtyard?_ ”

Of all times, she had to be cryptic now! Kaede’s hands were shaking; she didn’t know how to process this level of anticipation. But the quicker she went, the quicker she’d know. “ _Okay._ ” she writes before practically leaping out of bed and reaching her hand toward the door. Wait, what was she thinking? She couldn’t go out like this! I mean, it’s not like her soulmate hadn’t just seen her absolutely wiped from the escape attempts, but still. She skipped over to the bathroom, smoothing out her hair. Why was her favorite brand of mascara lying on the counter? Well, that didn’t matter. She applied it, and continued freshening up for another few minutes, until she couldn’t take it anymore. If she didn’t go outside right now, she was going to burst! She hurried out of her room, the door slamming behind her as she raced toward the courtyard.

Once outside the building, she stopped, head swiveling back and forth rapidly to locate anyone in her surroundings. It was dark out, but...was that a silhouette she saw on the pavillion? She took off running again, and as she grew closer, the figure grew clearer. Standing on the brick patio, looking expectantly at her, was…

“Harukawa-san!” she called out to the girl standing before her. Before Maki could get a word in edgewise, the exuberant pianist was practically tackling her in a hug.

“A-akamatsu-san!” she protests in a squeaky voice, nothing at all like the cold front she wore earlier. It was absolutely adorable!

“I’m so glad I finally met you!!!” she squeezes the other even tighter. “It’s been so long!”

Maki smiles at that for a moment before quieting, her face fallen, body tense. Kaede can instantly sense this through their embrace, and she pulls back to confront her about it. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she says with a voice of concern, hands drifting to hold Maki’s in her own.

Maki is really trying her damndest to stay cool amidst the overwhelming affection, because this situation is serious. “I….I want to say the same, but….I never wanted us to meet in a place like this.”

“Wh…..oh. Ohhh.” In her excitement, Kaede had almost forgotten the reason they were here. A killing game. “It...well, to be honest, it scares me. I’ve been trying to act brave to keep everyone together, but I’m terrified. And this only makes it more so. But, in a way, it’s also nice. Because at least I have someone here that I can trust.” She gives her soulmate’s hands a squeeze.

Maki’s eyes widen. “You trust me?”

“Well, of course?” Kaede is taken aback by that. “I mean, we’re soulmates, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, we are. I just...we’ve never met in real life before.”

“What do you mean?” Kaede says reassuringly. “...Just because we haven’t seen each other face-to-face doesn’t mean we haven’t met. I’ve known you for years. I know you’d never hurt me.”

Maki rubs her fingers lightly against Kaede’s palm, a nervous habit. “You’ve….always been so nice to me. It’s strange. I don’t know how to react to it.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to. I just want you to know that I’m here for you now.” she smiles, finally letting go of her soulmate’s hands to brush away the slight tears that were welling up in her eyes. “...Though, now that I finally know who you are, I do have some questions for you.”

“Sure. Go ahead.” Maki nods, sitting on the bench of the table beside them. Kaede follows suit.

“Well, I guess first of all...you always told me that you never wanted to exchange names or anything like that because you had a dangerous job. But you’re a child caregiver?” Kaede tilts her head as she speaks.

Maki averts her gaze, as if mentally debating something. “...I guess now that we actually know each other, it won’t be any less dangerous if I keep it a secret. That whole caregiving thing was just a lie.”

“What? You lied?” Kaede looks shocked. “Why would you do that?”:

“Because this is a killing game.” Maki says firmly, but her thumbs are twiddling. “No one’s going to want to live alongside the Ultimate Assassin.”

` “A-assassin?!” Kaede’s ahoge stands straight up in shock. “You’re, uh, joking, right?”

“No, I’m not. And that’s the other half of why I never told you. I know someone as kind as you would never be okay with something like that. I don’t know how the universe thought it was a good idea to pair someone as bright and optimistic as you with someone like me.” Maki sighs.

“....But why? You’ve never come off as violent when you’ve talked to me. And the fact that you’re thinking about something like that just confirms that you aren’t someone with malicious intentions. Why would you kill someone?” Kaede asks quietly.

Maki hesitates. She’s never told anyone this story before. But looking into Kaede’s shimmering eyes like that, like she still has faith in her even after learning the hard truth...for some reason, it seems too hard to tell her no. “Well….”

She trails off, and begins to explain everything to Kaede. About the orphanage. And the scouts. Her friend, the ones she had to protect. Her training. How she’d grown numb to the pain, yet still was terrified with the fear that her enemies would find out who Kaede was and destroy the last person who could still love her. By the time she was finished, she felt tears streaming down her cheeks, despite willing them to stay put. To her surprise, Kaede didn’t interrupt her once. She sat and listened, quiet and attentive, nodding softly every so often to show her affirmation. And when Maki was finished, Kaede didn’t scold or reprimand her. Instead, she pulled the assassin into a gentle hug.

Kaede didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if she could say anything to that. But everything made so much more sense to her now. And she knew that despite the horrors of Maki’s past...she was someone that she could see herself loving.

They spent quite some time in the embrace. No words were exchanged, but they didn’t need to be. It was as if Kaede knew Maki didn’t want to talk anymore. And when Kaede finally let go, she parted from the other with a fluttering kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for telling me all that. I know...it must be hard for you.”

Maki doesn’t know what to say to that, so she just nods.

“...It’s late. We should go back and get some rest.” Kaede notes. She stands up, reaching out a hand to help Maki up. But she doesn’t let go even after the two are standing, and they hold hands all the way back to the dormitory. Maki looks up as they walk. She swears she could have seen a shooting star through the oppressive cloak of the dome surrounding the academy.

She didn’t believe in superstition. But if she were to make a wish, she would wish to stay with Kaede like this forever. To always keep her safe and by her side.


	3. Someone I Can Trust

The next morning, Shuichi woke up to the morning announcement with a groan. Was it already 8 a.m.? He felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all--and truth be told, he had slept terribly. It was near impossible to relax with the anxiety persisting from last night’s message. It also probably didn't help any that those obnoxious voices were what shook him out of his slumber. He really hoped the Monokubs’ greeting wasn't about to become an everyday occurrence. Wait, back to that message…

Shuichi props himself into a sitting position and lifts up his hand, rotating his wrist so he could examine his palm once more. The crude drawing still remains, smiling as if taunting him. So it wasn’t just a nightmare. He had no idea what would compel his soulmate to doodle this--or worse, why someone else might draw it on their skin--but he knew it couldn’t mean anything good. Would it be dangerous to confide in the others about this? Oh! That’s right; they had a meeting planned! He had to hurry and meet up with the others for breakfast. The detective practically leapt out of bed, rushing toward the bathroom to brush his teeth and get dressed.

When he finally made it to the dining hall, he noticed that everyone else had already arrived. Despite their somber departure last night, the atmosphere of the room felt surprisingly jovial. An incredible array of breakfast fare lay spread out over the main table, which most of the students were piling onto their plates or already digging in to. Light chatter came from various directions. It seemed as if Angie was teaching Gonta how to properly use a fork and knife, which admittedly looked quite awkward in proportion to his large hands. And on the other side of the room….Kokichi was laughing as he shoved a fork with a sausage link at Keebo’s face.

“Here comes the airplane, Kiiboy!~”

“Please stop! I already told you, I am not equipped with digestive functions!” the disgruntled robot pleads. It looks like he’s making every effort to avoid the other’s teasing, but he’s slowly being backed into a corner. Shuichi figures he probably shouldn’t get involved in it. Instead, he walks closer to the spread and is approached by a pleased Kirumi Tojo.

“Good morning, Saihara-kun. I’m glad you’ve arrived so that we may properly begin our meal. Please, help yourself to anything you’d like. If there is something you feel is missing, let me know and I will be happy to prepare it for you.”

Shuichi looks at the food covering the table with a renewed awe. “Tojo-san, you made all this? That’s incredible; you didn’t have to do something like that. It must have been quite a task.”

“I assure you, it was nothing. So long as you all enjoy your breakfast, my efforts are more than worth their labor.” Kirumi replies.

“Well, thank you. I can’t wait to try the cooking of the Ultimate Maid for myself.” Shuichi smiles. He turns away from Kirumi to build his plate. By this point, just about everybody has found a seat. Breakfast in hand, he scans the room to look for an empty spot. His gaze locks with Kaede, who flashes him a warm smile and pats her hand over the empty seat next to her. He takes the invitation and situates himself on her left, also finding himself sitting next to Tsumugi and across the table from Kokichi, who greets him with a sly finger wave through his gloved hand. Was he wearing those before? Shuichi responds only with an awkward smile.

It’s Kaede that quickly breaks the idle chatter. “Okay guys! Is everyone good with breakfast? Because I think it’s a great time to get started on our strategy meeting.” she calls out with a level of cheer that seems unusual, even for her.

“Um, strategy meeting?” Gonta asks for clarification. Glancing around the table, he’s not the only one who seems confused.

“She wants to go over what we talked about last night with our soulmates. Right, Akamatsu-san?” says Rantaro.

Kaede nods vigorously. “Yeah! I was thinking we could start by going around and sharing what we found out from our soulmates, if we were able to contact them.”

“Great idea, Akamatsu-san!” Kaito chirps in. A few nods make their way around the dining hall.

Kaede claps her hands together. “Alright! Well, would you like to go first, Momota-kun?”

“Me? Uh, I didn’t really find out anything. I...actually didn’t hear from her at all. She’s never left me on read like this before.” Kaito closes his eyes, crossing his arms in frustration. “If whoever’s behind this did something to her…to hell with the school rules, I’m going to take that bear down.”

“The degenerate is right! We have to protect our soulmates!” Tenko shouts, standing up and slamming her fist on the table.

“Please, calm yourselves! We should hear everyone out before making any rash decisions, yes?” Keebo interjects. At this, Kokichi bursts into laughter from across the room, and everyone’s heads turn in his direction.

“You’re one to talk!” he says. “You don’t even have a soulmate, ‘cause you aren’t a person. You can’t possibly understand the anguish they must be feeling right now. Isn’t it just so cruel to dismiss them like that? So callous and emotionless. You know, like a robot.”

Keebo’s face circuitry contorts into an expression somewhere between anger and shame. “Th-that’s robophobic! I am sure I must have a soulmate, somehow...despite my body’s lack of skin in the traditional sense, I am a person just as those made of flesh and blood.”

“What about about you, Ouma-kun?” Angie circles back around in the Ultimate Robot’s defense, though Shuichi isn’t sure whether or not it’s intentional.

“Me? What about me?” he plays innocent.

“Your soulmate! Did they write to you?”

“Ohhhh, that’s what you meant! Yeah, we wrote back and forth for hoooooouuurs. Catching up on this and that, you know? They even went ahead and sent a rescue crew our way!” Kokichi gleefully crosses his arms behind his head.

“Really?” Gonta asks, eyes bright. “That wonderful! Now we--”

“Gokuhara-kun, do not be swayed so easily. This is just another of his ‘lies,’ is it not, Ouma-kun?” Korekiyo cuts him off.

“Niishishi, ya got me! I didn’t hear a single peep.” Kokichi confirms. Himiko, who is seated to his left, rolls her eyes.

“Probably because it’s you that doesn’t have a soulmate. Who’d wanna put up with someone as bratty as you?” the mage accuses.

Ryoma suddenly slides back his chair. “If you all are just going to keep up this pointless arguing, I’m done eating, so I’m gonna head out. I already told you all I don’t have a soulmate left to hear from.” he states in a gruff voice.

“Hoshi-kun, please don’t leave just yet!” Kaede pleads, and the Ultimate Tennis Player merely sighs.

“He’s got a point, you know. We really need to hear everyone’s information before we dissolve into frivolous banter.” Maki says.

“Why don’t we just go around in order, then? I can start us off. Or, I guess not start, since some of us already went…” Tsumugi trails off. “Ah, well, I didn’t get any response when I wrote. It worries me as well.”

To her left, Kirumi nods solemnly. “I also received no response.”

Korekiyo is next in the chain. “Myself as well, though it was not unexpected…”

“Nada on my end!” Miu adds, seeming remarkably unperturbed.

Skipping over Ryoma and Keebo, who had already gone, Tenko was next. She bites the nail of her thumb as she speaks. “Tenko wrote to her, but didn’t get anything in response. She has a history of responding sporadically, but given the circumstances, Tenko doesn’t know if it’s just coincidence…”

“Gonta sorry to hear, Chabashira-san! Gonta not know much about soulmate, since he just recently learn to write, but still, got nothing…”

Rantaro looks almost depressed next to him. When eyes turn to him, he coughs and makes his statement. “Ah...I believe I told you all before that my soulmate has never written to me, despite how many times I’ve reached out. Last night was no different…”

“Do not be sad, Amami-kun! If you don’t have a soulmate, all you need to do is dedicate your heart to Atua instead.” Angie smiles brightly, past Kokichi to his left.

Shuichi finds himself curious at that. “Ah, Yonaga-san, do you not have a soulmate…?”

“Nope! The only messages I get on my skin are divine prophecies from Atua himself. My handsome God is the only man I need.” she places her hands together in prayer. Right, sure…..

“Yumeno-san, what about you?” Shuichi asks.

“I…..got a message from my soulmate, but I didn’t write back.” the magician answers feebly.

“Aww, were you too scared?” Kokichi teases.

“No! Mages don’t get scared!” Himiko defends, clearly a bit shaken.

“It’s okay, Yumeno-san. You can always try again tomorrow night!” Tenko attempts to calm her down. Himiko nods in response.

“Harukawa-chan?” Kaede gently prompts the girl to her right, who looks as stiff as a board. Maki says nothing, but nods. Shuichi could have sworn her cheeks looked a bit flushed. Kaede places her hand over Maki’s arm in a gesture most likely intended to be soothing before turning to face the group. “Well, I’ll just go ahead and tell everyone for her. Harukawa-chan and I found out just last night that we’re soulmates!”

The announcement was met with a variety of surprised gasps and smiles. Shuichi himself felt like his jaw had fallen off its hinges. Kaede and Maki? Maybe his first impressions were wrong, but the two seemed like complete opposites….maybe Maki was hiding something behind her cool and collected front? It was a little suspicious that they only just found out now, too, but he supposed he wasn’t one to talk. He had heard some people did that sort of thing anyway; agreeing not to share certain information until meeting in person, to make things feel more natural.

“Wow! Congratulation, Harukawa-san! And Akamatsu-san! Gonta is happy his friends are happy together.” the Ultimate Entomologist is the first to comment on the new couple. Or, well, what’s probably a new couple? Not everyone got together right away, technically.

“Yeah! That’s amazing, you two! I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful pair!” Tenko looks absolutely delighted by the news. Shuichi wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that they were both girls.

“Sooo cute!! It’s just like a yuri manga!” Everyone tries to ignore that misplaced ‘compliment’ from Tsumugi.

“Never would have expected it, but hey, good on you! Make it work!” Kaito flashes a thumbs-up sign.

“...Thank you.” Maki says quietly, hiding her face with her hand as if she’s coughing. Kaede giggles, and pats her on the shoulder.

“Yes, that’s wonderful. I hope you two are happy together, even if these aren’t the most ideal of circumstances to meet.” Shuichi says sincerely.

“Not ideal is a bit of an understatement! It sounds like the perfect set-up for a murder to m--” Kokichi silences and shrivels back in his seat after Maki glares daggers at him. If looks could kill, they’d have to prepare for a class trial right now.

“U-um, we haven’t heard from you yet, Shuichi. What did you hear?” Tsumugi diverts the tension.

Shuichi has to pause before he answers. Should he tell them about the drawing he got? Show it to them? Explain his soulmate’s cryptic nature? He wanted to be honest with the group, but even raising the possibility that his soulmate might be the mastermind or someone involved with this killing game would cause chaos, or cast suspicion on himself. “I didn’t get anything back, either. I guess it was just Akamatsu-san, Harukawa-san, and Yumeno-san who received any response.” Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Kokichi raise an eyebrow. But in the blink of an eye, it was gone, and he blamed it on some sleep-deprived motion parallax effect.

“I suppose it doesn’t provide us with any valuable information if Akamatsu-san and Harukawa-san are both unaware participants in this game. Though Yumeno-san may yet be able to gather intelligence if she reaches out to her partner.” Kirumi summarizes the conversation.

“I-I’ll do my best….” Himiko says meekly, tapping her fingers together.

“There’s no pressure, Yumeno-san! Take your relationship at your own pace!” Tenko says. Shuichi wants to agree, but he can’t deny that the quicker they got clarification, the better.

“It seems kinda weird that so many soulmates didn’t respond though, doesn’t it?” Miu raises a point. “Maybe the bear really did do something!”

“D-don’t say that so casually!” Tsumugi seems taken aback.

“No, she does have a point.” Ryoma agrees. “If one or two people’s soulmates didn’t respond, that’d be one thing. But nobody heard anything from a soulmate outside of this academy, besides maybe Yumeno-san. That means something could have happened to the outside world.”

“What? Surely you aren’t suggesting some sort of apocalyptic scenario?” Keebo asks, sounding rather alarmed.

“I dunno. I mean, it’s possible. We have no idea how long it’s been since we were knocked out and brought here. Actually, given that, it’s possible we just could have outlived all out soulmates.”

“Those are both terrible options!” Himiko complains.

“Yeah! And if they had all grown old and died, we wouldn’t be here either!” Kaito argues.

“Uh, cryogenic freezing? Shouldn’t you know about that, space boy?” Miu chastises.

“Well, whatever happened or didn’t happen, we won’t know until we escape, right? So we just have to focus and find a way out!” Kaede proclaims confidently.

“That’s easy for you to say when you don’t have to worry about whether your own soulmate is alive or not, isn’t it?” Kokichi says as if on reflex. It’s an accusation, but it doesn’t seem to have much emotional charge behind it. Still, it’s enough to sow a few doubtful expressions across the sixteen faces in the room.

“Knock it off, degenerate! Like you’d worry about anyone besides yourself anyway.” Tenko tells him off.

Before anyone else can slide in their two cents, they’re interrupted by Monokuma popping into the room, seemingly out of nowhere. He sets a time limit. If no one is murdered within two days, everyone will be executed. They argue with him, but it’s pointless. Is it even worth pretending they have any control in this situation?

 

* * *

 

“I….think I’d like to go now.” Rantaro stands up after Monokuma has taken his exit. “Thanks for the food, Tojo-san.”

“Amami-kun, we haven’t figured out a plan yet!” Kaede protests.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got my own plan. I just...can’t tell any of you all, yet. But trust me, I’ll get to the bottom of this.” he says before walking out.

“Ah, Amami-kun!” Tsumugi calls after him, but there’s no answer.

“I will go see if I can talk to him. Please, carry on without me.” Keebo volunteers, and shuffles out the door after him. The room is left in an awkward silence.

“I’m headed out, too.” Ryoma asserts, and Kokichi follows his lead.

“Yup, this doesn’t seem to be going anywhere! Sorry!”

The two leave in separate directions. Soon enough, the majority of the room had cleared--the only people left were Shuichi, Kaede, Maki, Tsumugi, Kaito, and Kirumi, who was occupying herself with cleaning the remnants of their morning meal. Kaito seems to be assuring Kaede not to distress, telling her she’s a great leader and that the others just don’t get it, but Shuichi barely registers the sentiment. Instead, he found himself lost in thought, staring at the recently cleared tablecloth where his plate had rested mere moments ago.

Had it been right of him to conceal the truth about his soulmate? If he didn’t hide it, it could have easily destroyed their already shaky foundation of camaraderie, but...perhaps it had something to do with the reason the others’ soulmates seemed to be nonrespondent. If worse came to worst, it might also be a clue in revealing the mastermind, which was of particular importance giving the impending threat of their time limit. Shuichi shuddered at the thought. That couldn’t be the case, right? Even if they had a creepy inclination to draw Monokuma, that didn’t mean they were the mastermind. It wouldn’t even be a possible match, since he was so determined to end this killing game. If the mastermind was his soulmate, and exposing them could save the lives of his friends...he hated to say it, but he would do it in a heartbeat. But a soulmate was supposed to be someone you would die to protect, right? So whoever their kidnapper was, it couldn’t be his destined lover. At least he hoped.

Still, morals aside, the memory is eating him up inside. He felt like he had to tell someone about it, or else this looming sense of dread would never fade. But who? It definitely couldn’t be someone he suspected would leak the topic to the rest of the group. And if someone here was the mastermind, it certainly wouldn’t be good to confide in them. He looked up to survey the group once more, and his eyes quickly wandered until…Kaede, of course! Ever since they had gotten here, Kaede had proven herself dedicated and reliable as a leader. She was one of the only things keeping even a fragment of them together. It also didn’t hurt that she had found her soulmate within the academy; no one would voluntarily put their own soulmate into a killing game. And, well, it definitely confirmed that she wasn’t his, so she might be able to give him some insight. Technically, he could ask Maki too, but, well, he was embarrassed to admit it to himself, but she still seemed rather intimidating. Really, her and Kaede? He shakes his head to dismiss his tangential thoughts before speaking.

“Hey, Akamatsu-san?” Shuichi asks softly.

“Hm? What’s up, Saihara-kun?” the bright-eyed blonde turns away from her dwindling conversation with the Ultimate Astronaut to face him.

“Would you mind heading outside to talk with me? Um, in private, please.”

“Huh? Why? Is something wrong?” Kaede looks at Shuichi with genuine concern.

“Sort of...there’s something I wanted to get your opinion on. I think it’d be better if not everyone knew about it for now. At least until I can get a handle on it. Do you mind?” he phrases his words carefully.

Maki shoots him a suspicious look, as if she wants to openly interrogate him, but didn’t want to upset Kaede by being rude to someone she had been so friendly with ever since they arrived. Kaede glances back at her, sighing when she spots her girlfriend’s expression. Her eyes quickly dart back to Shuichi.

“Sure, that’s fine. You can talk to me. Where did you want to go?” she offers.

“Thank you! Ah, anywhere would be fine, really.” Shuichi awkwardly stands himself up, pushing his chair back in. Kaede follows suit.

“Why don’t we go to my lab, then?” she asks.

Shuichi nods in agreement, and the two walk down the echoing hallways in a silence that’s a bit tense, but comfortable. Maybe it’s something intrinsic about Kaede’s presence that makes Shuchi so sure he can trust her. Kaede holds open the obnoxious checkered door to invite him in, making sure it’s closed before probing further.

“So, what’s this you wanna talk to me about?”

“Well--I, ah---How do I say this…” Shuichi fumbles over his words, scratching his jaw. “Don’t take this the wrong way, please, but at breakfast earlier, I wasn’t really telling the truth. About not hearing from my soulmate last night.”

Violet eyes widen in surprise. “What?! So you did get a message from them? What did they say?”

“See, that’s the thing. They didn’t exactly say anything. All I got was a drawing. It’s the first thing they’ve sent me in years. And the content of that drawing worries me. I was really making an effort to hide it earlier, but here it is.” Slowly, he takes his hand out of his pocket to reveal his palm. But when it’s in sight, it’s not just Kaede that lets out a gasp.

“That’s supposed to be Monokuma, isn’t it?” she says.

“Uh, yeah, but, oh--this part wasn’t there before.” his gaze is fixated on a small arrow drawn on the lower side of his palm, pointing downward. Hastily, he rolls down his sleeve, revealing a new string of text.

  
“ _Wanna play a game, Shuichi? You know how I love games!_  
 _Did you know there’s a loose bookcase in the back of the library?_ ”


	4. where do you work out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at the library

“Oh my God.” The breathy words escaped Kaede’s lips before she could suppress them, and she looks up at Shuichi to await his response.

Shuichi’s mouth opens, then closes itself. He wants to speak, but he can’t find the words to say. How does he explain this complicated relationship to a girl he just met? Why was his soulmate writing him so nonchalantly after years of silence, even going so far as to call him by his first name? And most importantly, why was he telling him this? Was it even true? The gears whirring in his head were practically steaming through his ears. Kaede soon ground them to a halt as she grabbed onto his arm.

“Before we start analyzing this, we need to see if it’s actually true. Or if they’re still there. Let’s go check the library, okay?” she prompts him softly.

Face significantly paler, Shuichi nods. He should have thought of that first. “Y...yeah. Okay.” He lets Kaede guide him out of the room, at which point she releases the detective from her grasp. The two start walking, but without meaning to, Shuichi finds himself increasing his pace until he’s sprinting down the halls. Kaede is huffing, but she matches the tempo he sets every step of the way. As they approach their destination, a voice from another room slowly becomes audible.

“...can’t help but wonder…if I’m the exception. If the universe just decided I would never be worthy of love, you know?”

Shuichi notes this dully in the back of his mind, but his mind is in such a flurry right now that he makes no attempt to identify the speaker. However, when they descend the stairs to the basement, they are stopped by a very concerned-looking Keebo. A few feet away, Rantaro is leaning against a wall, with an eyebrow raised in skepticism. The conversation they overheard earlier seems to have abruptly stopped.

“Saihara-kun? Akamatsu-san? What has the two of you in such a frenzy? Is everything alright?” the robot asks. Amidst the clutter of footsteps, Shuichi briefly registers a noise coming from down the hall, perhaps the sliding of a metal door.

“Ah--Keebo? Amami-kun? What are the two of you doing here?” Kaede questions him back with a startle.

“Well, after I took my leave at breakfast, I began my search for Amami-kun in order to ensure that he would not be in danger. After a fruitless walk around the dorms, I made my way here, where I found him exiting the library. We had begun to engage in a dialogue of sorts, until you made your entrance just now.” Keebo explains, though his tone lacks its usual confidence.

“Where are you guys headed in such a hurry?” Rantaro asks, waving his hand in the air.

“Um, the library, actually..” Shuichi speaks timidly, and Kaede quickly intervenes.

“Yeah! Saihara-kun was telling me all about this book he had read recently, so we wanted to see if it was here so I could take a look at it.”

Keebo doesn’t look fully convinced. “That seems...rather casual, after this morning.”

“Well, it’s supposed to be really good! I’m already hooked from his summary!” Kaede laughs nervously, scratching her neck. Shuichi is looking at her in utter confusion. “I’m a bit anxious to go look for it, so we’re gonna head in. Don’t go worrying on our account!”

She speaks quickly, and practically shoves Shuichi into the library with her. When they’re safely within its confounds, she slumps down against the door with a relieved sigh.

“Uh, what was that for?” Shuichi stares her down.

“I had to shake them off! We don’t want them to know the truth about what’s going on until we figure it out ourselves; it’d start a panic. Besides, if they followed us in here, we might miss our chance to investigate.” Kaede huffs, crossing her arms. Shuichi has to admit she has a point.

“And that was the best lie you could come up with?” he half-smiles.

“Hey! What do I look like? Ouma-kun?” she jokes.

If this were a normal conversation, he’d humor her, maybe pass a few jokes back and forth. But with the stress of the interruption quickly fading, his anxiety flared once more towards the task at hand. “Come on. Let’s look around.” he instructs. Kaede tags behind him as he makes his way to the other end of the library. Himself and Kaede were definitely the only people in the room, but he supposed his soulmate wouldn’t have sent him the hint if they were still in here, cryptic as they were. He visually inspects the bookcases, and notices…

“This case against the back one is the only one without books on top.”

Kaede looks up. “Oh, you’re right! Maybe...it’s like a secret passage? Like, if you pull one of the books out, it’ll open.”

“No, the message said there was a ‘loose bookcase’...so I think whatever we have to do must be to the bookcase itself.” he deduced. Cautiously, he grasps an edge of the shelf and pulls. Upon its initial shift in position, the bookcase slowly begins to open outward on its own. He has to jump back to escape its pathway, but sure enough, something is lurking within: a black-and-white door, with a card reader. With that color scheme...it was a chilling reminder of Monokuma’s presence. But his mind was fixated on one particular question.

“How did my soulmate know this was here?” Shuichi speaks quietly, reluctant to even vocalize the words. Because really, there was only one implication. Who would have information about the existence of a hidden passageway in this academy besides the mastermind?

Following his vein of thought, Kaede doesn’t answer. Instead, she shuffles closer to the door to examine further. She tries pushing on the door first; it doesn’t budge. The scanner to the side seems to need some sort of card key for access. “I don’t think we can actually get in. What I’m wondering is...if that’s the case, why did they bother telling you?”

“I…” The words seemed to slip away from Shuichi’s tongue before he formed them, and he felt his throat go dry. He didn’t realize he was trembling, too, until Kaede reached out to cup his hand between her palms.

“Do you want to talk? I’m here for you, if you need me. We can figure this out. We could go back to my room--where we don’t have to worry about people getting involved.” When Shuichi hesitated to respond, she quickly followed up. “Ah, I don’t mean anything weird by it! And if you aren’t comfortable telling me, that’s okay, too. We can just have some tea, and get your bearings togeth--”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Shuichi says. He proceeds to exhale deeply. “I...want to tell you. I trust you. It’s just, well, a lot to take in. But I’d like that.”

Kaede smiles, and gracefully returns her hands to her sides. “I’ll lead the way, then.”

The duo closes the bookcase and embarks on a quiet walk to the dormitories. Thankfully, they didn’t run into anybody this time. Once they’re in the pianist’s room, Shuichi makes himself comfortable in the red leather chair, tugging his hat further down his face. Kaede hums lightly and heads for the desk. She has a small appliance on it with a pot, surrounded by a few cups and packets. That definitely wasn’t in his room.

“Do you want any coffee, or tea?” Kaede asks while setting up the water to heat.

“Ah, coffee would be nice, but where did this come from?” Shuichi replies.

“Oh, I brought it over from the warehouse. I actually woke up a little early today, and coffee soothes my nerves in the morning, somehow. But it was still technically nighttime, so I couldn’t get in the dining hall. And I found these! I’m not intending to stay here or anything, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to bring them back in case I did end up needing it again. And it looks like it came in handy. It’s just instant, though, so I hope that’s okay.” Kaede explains as the pot is brewing. Shuichi nods; he often felt the same way. It was much easier to start the day with a cup of java in tow.

She begins pouring the fresh brew into the cups. “How do you take it?”

“Um, cream, no sugar.” Shuichi specifies.

Kaede makes the drink as requested, putting two pink packets of artificial sweetener and a bit of cream into her own beverage. She hands one of the cups over to the sulking boy. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Shuichi takes a grateful sip. Yeah, definitely not the best coffee. But it was comforting all the same. Maybe because Kaede had made it for him. He takes a deep breath, forcing himself to release some of the tension trapped in his muscles. Kaede plops down in the desk chair to his side, but waits a few minutes for him to settle before she speaks.

“If you’re feeling up to it, I think we should discuss the door first. Without connecting it to anything else right now. A hidden passageway seems like it would be important to the structure of this place.” Kaede asks, crossing her legs.

“If it’s hidden like that, it has to be because we weren’t meant to know about it. Which means it’s likely something used by the mastermind. Especially since it requires authentication.” Shuichi surmises, rather straightforwardly given his previous emotional state. It would be fine; Kaede was right. He just had to clear his head, not jump to conclusions. To accept her support.

“So you think the mastermind could be hiding in that room, controlling Monokuma?” Kaede asks.

“Not necessarily. If that were the case, it wouldn’t need to be secret. Monokuma has total control over this building, so he could put a locked room in front of our noses and we wouldn’t be any more able to enter. Since it’s out of sight, it’s more likely that the mastermind is going in and out frequently, and doesn’t want to be seen. But I don’t like that conclusion, because if the mastermind is wandering out and about, it would mean…”

Kaede coughs, almost choking on her coffee. “You aren’t saying that the mastermind is one of us?!”

“I don’t know. I hope I’m wrong. I really do. Especially...because…” He can’t bring himself to say it.

Kaede knows what the detective is thinking, and she doesn’t want to put it in the open air, either. But for the sake of dispelling the lies behind this killing game, she has to. “You think that they could be your soulmate.”

Shuichi looks down at the floor. “I don’t know who they are. They’ve always been vague, and they haven’t written anything to me since we were kids. But if they’re able to draw Monokuma, they have to be here. And it’s too coincidental for them to suddenly write something to me now of all times, as soon as we find ourselves in this twisted game.” He feels nails digging into his skin as his hand clenches into a tight fist. “Who else but the mastermind would know that door exists? Who else but my soulmate would be so fixated on the idea of playing games?” His voice begins to rise. “It all makes too much sense, and there’s nothing I can do!”

To his surprise, Kaede doesn’t tell him to calm down or to stop talking. In fact, her open posture suggests she’s letting him vent his anger, and he had a lot to vent. “I was so scared. For years, I was scared. We played games as kids, until they just went static. I wrote and wrote, but never got a response. I knew they were alive, but I always worried something horrible had happened. Were they kidnapped, being held hostage somewhere? But now--now I know I was just being ignored. Left ignorant as I watched everyone around me falling in love, while I was alone. I didn’t have anyone. Didn’t have my parents, my only friends were across the country, and I couldn’t even count on the one person you’re supposed to always be able to: my soulmate. I grew up thinking that soulmates cared about each other. But really, I don’t know what I believe in anymore.” His voice is full of passion, and wet tears are beginning to pool at the corners of his eyes. When everything is off his chest, he slowly attempts to control his breathing again.

Kaede looks at him with what he can only interpret as pure compassion. “I...I never knew that’s how you felt. I’m so sorry, Saihara-kun.” she says softly.

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry for just spewing everything on you like that.” Shuichi says, the guilt quickly creeping up on him.

“You shouldn’t be. It sounds like you needed to let it out. I told you; I’m here for you, okay?” Kaede leans forward, brushing a stray blonde hair out of her face. “Anyone would be scared in your situation. To be honest, I’ve always been scared about my soulmate, too. It’s a horrible feeling.”

“About Harukawa-san?” Shuichi asked.

“Yeah. There’s...certain stuff going on in her life, that I never knew about until now, so she always kept her identity a secret from me. I wanted to meet her so badly, but she always refused. She’s always been my companion, but I still felt a bit like you mentioned. It’s lonely being the only single kid in your school.” Kaede smiles sadly.

“Ah, yeah, it is…”

“But you can see, it worked out for us in the end. It’s such an overwhelming feeling, having found your soulmate. Any suspicion I had about it before just flushed down the drain, because it felt so right…I know we haven’t been dating for very long, but I think I’m falling in love with her. In a way, I always have been. Even when she wasn’t with me, she was.” Kaede professes from the depths of her heart, a tinge of red dotting her cheeks.

“I’m happy for the two of you.” Shuichi says. It’s a genuine sentiment, but one hanging over his own existential dread.

“Ah, I’m sorry! I’m not telling this to make you feel bad, or make this about me or anything. I just...see how much you’re suffering, and I don’t want you to lose hope.” Kaede frowns. “This is just a possibility, but maybe something did happen. Something that now makes them only want you think that they’re the mastermind?”

Shuichi entertains the thought for a moment. “Why would they want to do that? All it would do is make me distrust them. Honestly, I can’t think of any other reason why they would be so set on hiding their identity from me. Besides, if they were just tricking me, it wouldn’t explain how they knew about the door in the first place.” he ponders.

“Well...I guess that makes sense. And with being the Ultimate Detective, I don’t doubt your intuition.” Kaede is quick to assure. “But, still...even knowing all of that, I just can’t seem to believe that your soulmate is the one behind this killing game.”

“Why is it hard to believe?” Shuichi replies.

“Because I know you’re a good person.” When Shuichi still looks confused, Kaede starts to explain. “I know soulmates don’t always work out. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have things like domestic violence, or abuse, even if they’re rare. But even in rough cases, like yours, there’s always a potential. There has to be. I understand your doubts, but I’m confident that fate wouldn’t pair you with someone who wanted to hurt you, or who you could never love. You’re a detective. The mastermind is someone with intent to murder. That’s just a fundamental clash in values! I don’t think your destiny could be tied to someone so nefarious.”

Shuichi feels his chest ache. “What makes you so sure I’m a good person?”

At that, Kaede actually...laughs? “Do you really need to ask that?” she smiles. “It’s because I believe in you. We’ve been together since the moment we got here, and you’ve been supporting me ever since. Without you by my side...I would have been so lost. It’s weird, but I sort of feel like I’ve known you forever, even though we just met yesterday. And I can feel that you have a kind spirit. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have trusted me with all of this. Your soulmate, the mastermind...if I were you, I know I’d feel so vulnerable. But you opened your heart to me all the same. So I’m going to put that same faith in you.”

The detective doesn’t know what to say to that. He felt moved. The tears were pricking his eyes once again. “I...thank you, Akamatsu-san. It means a lot to hear that. But, the blind faith you’re putting in my soulmate just seems too good to be true, you know?”

Finishing the last of her coffee, Kaede places the cup back on her desk and crosses her arms. “...What if we could prove it?”

“Huh?”

“If we could expose the mastermind. We’d be able to put an end to the killing game and find out if they’re really your soulmate at the same time.” she clarifies.

“...You mean, by catching them when they go through the door?”

“Yeah, exactly! If we knew when they would use it, we could catch them red-handed!”

“That’s...not a bad idea, actually. Extrapolating from what Monokuma said earlier…”

They established their plan by following Shuichi’s train of thought. The mastermind would go through the hidden passage just before Monokuma’s time limit expired, in order to make spares that could be used to annihilate them. They would rig the room with cameras and motion sensors to alert them as soon as the mastermind made their move. And then they’d capture them, ending the killing game once and for all. Once they had mapped out the strategy, Shuichi stood up.

“I’ll go ask Miu about the cameras.” he stated.

“No, I’ll do it. It’s been a long day for you, so I think you should go back to your room and rest.” Kaede stands up alongside him.

“But--”

“No buts!” Kaede grins. “It’s going to take her some time to make them, anyway. I’ll need your full attention when it’s time to set them up and monitor them, so you need to be ready, okay?’

“...Okay.” Shuichi reluctantly sighs, but he can’t help wearing a faint smile. “Thank you, Akamatsu-san. I think I needed this.”

“Of course. Though, I do need to ask you one thing.” Kaede says. Shuichi notes that she bites her lip after she talks. “I was telling the truth earlier, about what I believe. But, hypothetically, if your soulmate were the mastermind...what would you do?”

That was certainly a curveball. But it’s not like he hadn’t thought about the possibility before. “I would be crushed. But it’s all of our lives at stake. I think...I would do what had to be done, to save everyone.” he admits.

Kaede seems relieved at this, and nods to herself. “Okay. I just wanted to know. I promise, I don’t think that will be the case.” she reassures. Shuichi’s expression gives away that he’s clearly unconvinced, so Kaede pulls him into a tight hug. “Thank you, Shuichi. I’m glad I met you.”

Shuichi initially tenses. Frankly, he’s a bit alarmed by physical contact. Probably because he was so touch-starved. But something Kaede makes it okay, and he returns the gesture. “..Yeah. I am too. It’s nice to have a friend here.”

Kaede eventually pulls away, and Shuichi finds himself missing her warm touch. “Let’s head out, then.” she says. Shuichi follows her lead outside of the bedroom, and closes the door behind him. Kaede uses her key to lock it. “I’ll check in with you about the camera status. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Yeah, will do.” Shuichi lifts an arm to wave her off as she bounces out of the dormitory lobby. But his wave quickly stops when he notices a streak of blank ink on the back of his right hand. That’s right; he had totally forgotten to write his soulmate back! He thrusts his arm toward his face so quickly that he almost knocks himself right in the face.

“ _Also, check outside your door! ;)_ ”

His door? Like, his room? He spins around and dashes to the doorway underneath his name plaque. Which was more of a portrait than a name plaque, but whatever, now wasn’t the time for that. Attached to the door was a pink sticky note, which he quickly ripped off to investigate.

And on that little piece of paper...was a crude drawing of phallic genitalia. Flipping it over to the other side, a scrawl of text says “ _Gotcha!_ ”

With a groan, he crumples the note up and tosses it to the ground, stomping into his bedroom. He definitely understood even less about his soulmate now. Maybe Kaede had a point about getting some rest. He was utterly exhausted, too much so to even bother writing out a demand for answers. The moment he plops down onto his bed, he’s out like a light. `


	5. Love is Grief

Their plan went off without a hitch.

Well, except for the part when they had rushed into the library, only to be greeted with the bloody corpse of one of their friends. The world seemed to blur to Shuichi, vision spinning as the other students flashed by him on their way to the crime scene. He wasn’t even sure how much time had passed when a particularly loud shout finally snapped him out of his daze.

“Amami!” Keebo’s voice rang out. He was not alone in expressing his horror, but something about his tone seemed particularly desperate. As the robot knelt down beside Rantaro’s brutalized body, the logistics of the situation became clear in Shuichi’s head. Rantaro Amami, who had yet to reveal his ultimate talent, had been murdered. Could he have been the true mastermind?

Monokuma’s sudden appearance instantly shattered that theory. And without any time to grieve, the fifteen of them were being rushed into a class trial. There was nothing he could do but steel himself for investigation. With Kaede by his side, he began to prod around the body.

“...What’s this?” he whispers to himself as he notes his classmate’s belongings. On his person, Rantaro held not one, but two Monopads, one of which was covered in blood save for the shape of a handprint. To his knowledge, everyone had received only one tablet from Monokuma. So what was the second one for? To start, Shuichi powers on the tablet that’s resting in Rantaro’s pocket. Nothing unusual there. Reluctantly, his gaze turns to the bloody tablet. He carefully handles the device through the clean spot where Rantaro’s hand had once been, to avoid blood staining his skin. But he wasn’t able to make any sense of its contents.

“Survivor perk….Is that a map of the academy? Wow, that even has floors we haven’t seen yet.” Kaede leans over his shoulder to peek.

“Assuming Amami-kun wasn’t the mastermind, this explains how he knew this door was here. It actually shows the hidden room. Which, I’m not sure how much it’s related to the case, but…” Shuichi feels an intense dread sink to the pit of his stomach. “He would have been able to write that message we saw.”

Kaede doesn’t say anything at first. Her eyes gradually widen, presumably in realization. She quickly brings her hands up and cups them around her mouth, hiding part of the absolute horror strewn across her face. “And...he wasn’t the mastermind...Shuichi, I…”

The detective bites his lip. “...You may have been right.”

The investigation continues on.

 

* * *

 

“And that concludes...the events of this case.” Shuichi says tersely. His entire body feels stiff and exhausted.

“No! That’s wrong!” an agonized voice cries out, followed by the sound of hands slamming on to a podium. It wasn’t Maki’s first objection. Something told him it wouldn’t be the last, either. He had laid the truth of Rantaro’s murder bare for all to see...but once again, it was a truth he never should have uncovered. A fate that the culprit didn’t deserve.

“Harukawa, please--” Kaede begins to intervene, her voice accepting and calm.

“No! I won’t believe it! I refuse to believe it!” The usually composed girl’s voice now sounded ugly and raw. When she turned to face Shuichi, he could easily see the tears streaming down her cheeks, marring the face he knew Kaede treasured so dearly.

“Harukawa...san…” Something inside of Shuichi shriveled at the sight. Disapproving stares flashed before his eyes, as he watched the shell of his past condemn a man for avenging the suicide of his soulmate. He couldn’t watch anymore. There was no way he could watch another lover crumble under the hammer of his supposed justice.

“Harukawa, it’s okay. Shuichi...well, he’s got everything right, down to the last detail. I’m happy you believe in me so much, but it...really was me.” Shuichi knows the voice belongs to Kaede. He wonders if even she would be able to keep her eyes trained on Maki for the entirety of her confession. How do you face the ones you love with blood on your hands?

“Well, it looks like the debate’s finished, so itttttt’s voting time!” an all-too-cheerful voice booms from the front of the trial grounds.

The votes are nearly unanimous: fourteen for Kaede Akamatsu, with one lone tally next to Shuichi Saihara. Surely enough, the majority vote was correct.

“Why...Akamatsu-san, why!” Maki sobbed. It didn’t even sound like a question. At this point, it was obvious why Kaede had committed her crime.

“....I’m glad. That everyone reached the correct verdict.” Kaede smiles softly.

“Glad? Akamatsu, you can’t be glad! It can’t end like this!” Maki cries.

“I’m sorry, Harukawa-san. Saihara-kun. Everyone...I’m so sorry.” Kaede apologizes, and the plead Shuichi hears laced in her words convinces him to open his eyes once more. “It’s true. I did it because I thought it would end the killing game. I wanted us all to escape together. Because with the time limit, I felt like there was no other choice. I..wanted to protect you all. Especially you, Harukawa-san.”

“Protect me? If you cared about me, you would have told me!” Maki yells.

“I wanted to, I really did, but you would have tried to stop me. I couldn’t just let us all die by Monokuma’s hand. That’s part of why I didn’t tell Saihara-kun, either.”

“...Part of?” Shuichi asked, confused.

Kaede slings her backpack over her shoulder and begins rummaging around in it. She pulls out two white envelopes and hands one to Shuichi. She walks across the room to give the other to her girlfriend. “I wrote these during the investigation. I didn’t want to expose your...privacy, in front of everyone. But, if you read these, I hope you’ll both understand. I’m...really glad I’ve had you both here with me. I know I don’t have a right to make requests from you, especially...with what I might have done, Saihara-kun. What I’m going to do to you, Harukawa-san. But I’d like you all--everyone here--to hear me. To listen to my final wish.”

“Akamatsu-san…” Kaito clenches his fist. “Our ears are open.” A chorus of nods makes its way around the room. Maki is frozen in place.

Kaede smiles gratefully. “I still mean everything I’ve said to you all so far. And I’d like for you all to promise me...that even once I’m gone, you’ll stay united. I want everyone to get out of this place together. I know you all can do it, if you draw upon each other’s strength. I want you to push on, until you find the mastermind and get out of this academy. Escape for me. That’s my wish.”

“Akamatsu-san…” Shuichi says quietly. “I...I’ll do my best.” He doesn’t know if that’s true. But he doesn’t have the heart to tell Kaede about his lingering doubts, about the crushing defeat he feels, the total inadequacy of his detective work. He can’t let her worry even more about him. Not while she’s facing death’s door.

“We won’t let you down, Akamatsu.” Kaito clenches his fist, sounding much more confident than Shuichi thinks he could ever muster.

“I will do my utmost to serve everyone.” Kirumi clasps her hands together with a frown.

“Gonta fight! To save friends!” The gentle giant shouts, tears welling in his eyes.

“...You definitely weren’t boring, Akamatsu-san.” Even Kokichi chimes in agreement.

Maki, however, seems to barely be processing the situation. “I-I can’t….” she finally whispers. Her next words, however, are a piercing yell. “I can’t keep doing this! Not without you! I said I would keep you safe...and I finally found you, and we were going to change things...what was that all for now?”

The waterworks Kaede had been holding in all this time finally began to leak, rolling slowly down her face. “I...I’m so sorry, Harukawa. This wasn’t fair to you. I don’t want you to be alone. I wanted to badly for us to escape, so we could go somewhere safer for you and start things fresh, the two of us together with everyone. But..I was an idiot. Monokuma played me like a fiddle. And there’s nothing I can do now but play strong, to motivate you and everyone else to keep moving forward. I want you to find nothing but happiness, no matter with who, or how. Please, rely on the others. You can trust them. It’s funny, but after all this...I’m not sure if there really is a mastermind among us.”

“Akamatsu--”

“Well, that’s enough of that! I think it’s time for the main event!” A bear-y familiar voice breaks the mood once more.

“Main event?” Himiko asks, though her small frame is trembling.

“You are referring to the aforementioned ‘punishment,’ correct?” Korekiyo surmises.

“Yup yup! Ittttt’s punishment time!” Monokuma confirms.

“No! Don’t!” Shuichi finds himself shouting, even though he knows any attempt to resist the Monokubs and their Exisals would be futile.

“You can’t die! You can’t die, Akamatsu!” Maki screams, a mix of fury and terror evident in her tone. She grasps both of her soulmate’s hands tightly with her own, with a grip so tight Shuichi almost wondered how Kaede didn’t cry out in pain. Her voice nearly cracks as she speaks once more. “I need you with me! I love you, Kaede! You’re the only one I’ve ever loved!”

Monokuma’s hammer hits a red button.

Kaede returns the gesture. Her rough hands, calloused from years of piano playing, wrapped softly around the other girl’s in a final embrace. “...I love you too, Maki.”

Before anyone can say anything more, a chain springs out from one of the courtroom exits and clamps down harshly into the skin of Kaede’s neck. It rips her away from Maki’s grasp without mercy, and the group can do nothing but watch as she’s dragged away and subjected to an execution more horrible than any of them could have ever imagined.

Maki is still wailing when she has to be escorted out of the room.

She refuses Shuichi’s touch.

 

* * *

 

It was 3 a.m., and Shuichi still couldn’t sleep. At first, it was because he simply couldn’t stop crying. But now, the tears were long gone. His entire body ached, and there was an incessant throbbing in his head, even with his earlier congestion cleared up. He laid flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Why did Kaede have to die? And Maki...just thinking about her sprung up such an overwhelming guilt. She had lost the one she loved, thanks to him. Of course, he still didn’t know if Rantaro was actually his soulmate or not. Sure, Rantaro had told the group earlier that his soulmate had never written to him. But he was also mysterious--he hadn’t told the others about that inexplicably survivor perk, either. What if the thing about his soulmate was a lie, too? What if he and Maki had both lost their fated partners? What if he was supposed to join them? Was there truly a point to living without a soulmate?

Once again, he can’t handle the weight of his own thoughts. He reaches over to his nightstand, grasping the already well-worn letter Kaede had given him earlier that night. His sore eyes scan the bubbly and cursive handwritten words once more.

“ _Dear Saihara-kun,_

_I don’t have much time to write. The class trial will be starting any moment now. But I just don’t know if I’ll have another opportunity to explain things to you. And after what you told me the other day and my room, and again today, in the classroom….I can’t let you wallow in this._

_I’m sure it was you who figured out my plan.You are the Ultimate Detective, after all! Not to mention that you were with me every step of the way. I want to tell you first and foremost that this isn’t your fault. I was the one who killed Amami-kun, not you. And I feel horrible about it--from the moment Monokuma still appeared, while his body was in front of us, I knew what I had done. I was aiming for the mastermind--to get us all to escape. If you feel guilty about unveiling the truth, don’t. It had to come out, or everyone in the academy would have lost their lives. You saved them, Saihara-kun._

_However, even now, I still can’t believe it. My trap killed someone who wasn’t the mastermind. And when we saw that pad, I realized it could have been him. Your soulmate. It devastates me, so I can’t imagine how it must make you feel. I mean what I said earlier: I really don’t think your soulmate is the mastermind. And if someone who isn’t the mastermind knew about that door, well….I just hope it turns out to be someone else._

_It’s okay if you hate me. You have every reason to, if I truly took away your soulmate before you even found each other. Nothing I can ever say will give you that back, and I’m truly sorry. All I can do is urge you not to give up on love. Please keep searching for it. I know you’re deserving of it._

_I will say this, though, even if it’s not my place. I believe that your talent is meant to help people. I believe that so strongly, it’s why I didn’t confess to my crime as soon as the class trial began. You have to gain confidence in yourself. Everyone needs you to uncover the truth. People can judge you for finding it all they want. But without that truth, they would have nothing on which to base their judgements. The world needs the truth to move forward. I want you to be assertive. Stand up for yourself! You have the power to lead everyone out of here!_

_To be honest, I am scared to die. I never wanted to sacrifice my life. But if it can protect all of you, then it’s okay. I can’t change the past, and neither can you. It could have turned out much worse. All we can do is keep moving forward. If this really is my end, please take care of Harukawa-san for me. And, most importantly, take care of yourself. Escape for me._

_I think we would have been the best of friends if we had escaped here together. I would have loved to play a song for you, or visit your uncle’s agency. I want you to have all of that with the others here, still. Please don’t forget me._

_With love,_

_Kaede_ ”

Reading over the note once more, Shuichi could sense Kaede’s sincerity. He knew she didn’t blame him. But could he really forgive himself? And did forgiveness really alleviate the loss of a soulmate he never knew? Well, it would be irrational to make any concrete judgments on the worth of his life without being well-rested. He takes a deep breath before rolling on his side to put the sheet of paper back on his dresser. But as he does, he notices writing on his arm. Wait, writing?! In an instant, he’s taking a closer look.

“ _Go to the Ultimate Pianist’s lab. I’ve got something waiting for you!_ ”

Shuichi couldn’t believe it. Despite the circumstances, he lets out a relieved grin, punctuated by gasps. His soulmate wasn’t Rantaro after all! Well, that sounded pretty mean towards Rantaro. He wasn’t upset by the thought of it being him, just the thought of him being, well...you know.

The detective jumps out of bed, fumbling so quickly for a pen that he stubs his toe. With a wince, but without pause, he writes in sloppy print beneath the message. “ _You’re alive! Where are you?_ ”

For once, he got a quick response. “ _What, did you think I was that walking avocado? As if. Just go to the piano room._ ”

“ _Who are you?_ ” he questions further, choosing to ignore the strange comparison of their dead classmate to a gross fruit.

After nearly a minute, he realizes he’s been holding his breath, and he lets out a shaky exhale. No response. Well, maybe it was his soulmate themself that would be waiting for him? Fueled by adrenaline, he grabs his key and runs out of his dorm room, leaving so quickly that he doesn’t bother fixing his bed head, or even hiding it with his usual cap.

After sprinting into the piano lab, he slumps down with his hands stabilizing themselves on his knees, gasping for air. Once he gets his bearings, he realizes he’s the only person in the room. Given his soulmate’s history, he probably should have predicted that. However, he does notice a sheet of paper on the stand of the grand piano. He walks over to inspect its contents.

“ _Made you look!_ ” is all it reads, next to a drawn-out emoji of someone smiling with their tongue out. Mocking him. Really, how distasteful was that? A prank, right after a class trial? He’s so thoroughly disappointed that he simply lets the paper fall out of his hand, fluttering slowly toward the ground.

Now that he’s here, though, he realizes that this is, in fact, Kaede’s lab. It’s not like she had gotten much use out of it, given how short of a time they had spent here. Still, though, they had talked here. Just by stepping foot in here, he could remember the concern in his friend’s voice as she listened understandingly and without judgement to one of the most upsetting realizations of his life. Even if in retrospect it might not have even been true, given how little indication they had found of a mastermind at the trial. She was there for him.

As he looked around, he could pick out lots of little things that he thought Kaede would have liked. There were rows upon rows of classical music and original scores of famous pieces. Little music note decals dotted the room; some of the shelving units were even decorated with the sheet music for various scales. There was even a music player. Somehow, it was comforting to be in the presence of this room designed for Kaede, even if the designer in question was Monokuma himself.

He wondered...would they have that song? The one Kaede had mentioned to him when he told her about his past in the classroom, while they were on lookout. Clair de Lune, if he recalled. Slowly, he filtered through the stacks of recordings lining the shelves, until he finds one labeled Claude DeBussy. This was it, right? The pads of his fingers trace gently over the cover before he places it in the playback device. Soon enough, a gentle tune floats throughout the room.

“Akamatsu…” Shuichi whispers to no one in particular. Without thinking too much about it, he sits down at the piano stool and closes his eyes. He wonders, with his hands placed over the keys--how did Kaede feel when she played the piano? What kind of song would she have played for him when they escaped? Who was her favorite composer? Did she get nervous at recitals, or was it just her status quo? The questions panged at his heart, but in a way that was cathartic in addition to the pain. Before he knew it, his eyes were welling up, and small droplets of water made their way down to the piano’s keys.

“Ohhh, so I did hear some emo music coming from in here!” An annoyingly chipper voice calls from the doorway. Right, he had left that open...begrudgingly, he looks over. He sees none other than Kokichi Ouma, smiling as he props himself against the doorway.

“What do you want, Ouma-kun?” he says frustratedly, poorly veiling how broken his voice sounded.

“Awww, have you been crying over poor little Akamatsu?” Kokichi mocks. Before he can tell the brat to shut up, a pack of tissues is shoved in front of him. He takes them with skepticism. Why did Kokichi even have these? Probably better not to ask, lest he get teased further for, god forbid, expressing his emotions.

“Why are you still awake?” he probes instead, pulling open the tissue packet. He unfolds one from the bunch, dabbing underneath his eyes.

“Why are you? There’s no rule saying we have to be asleep during nighttime, is there?” Kokichi retorts while leaning forward. “I’m just a night owl, you know how it goes. Well, you actually strike me as more of a morning person, but I’m not surprised you came here to grieve or whatever. You’re almost too easy to read.”

“I didn’t c--” He stops himself before he can finish that sentence. Kokichi didn’t need to know about him coming here for his stupid soulmate--and yes, he was still mad, relieved as he may be. He wondered how Kokichi could figure out such mundane facts about him anyway.

“Relax, it’s fine. You probably need to let it all out, anyway. We can’t have you holding it in until you bawl like a baby during the next class trial instead of figuring out whodunnit!” Kokichi flashes a cheeky smile, plopping himself down next to Shuichi on the seat. The proximity made him rather uncomfortable, but well, he was too tired to protest anything the supreme leader tried to do right now.

“Wait, what do you mean, the next class trial? Why are you assuming there’s going to be another one?” Shuichi accuses.

Kokichi pauses for a moment before responding, as if gathering his thoughts. His face is expressionless as he speaks. “Akamatsu did exactly what Monokuma wanted her to. All he needed her to do was get the killing game started. And now that the ball is rolling, it’s going to gain a momentum that’s difficult to stop.” he explains his rationale. “Buuuuut, you don’t need to worry about that right now! Whatcha listening to?” The plastic smile returns.

Shuichi merely sighed deeply. “What’s it to you?”

“Whaaat, I can’t be curious when I hear random music coming down the hall at four in the morning?” Kokichi whines, but instead of pressing further, he reaches over to check out the case sitting on top of the music player. “Clair de Lune, huh? By...woah, is that name appropriate? Pardon the French!”

Shuichi looked back at the piano keys. “...Akamatsu-san said she liked this song.” Kokichi doesn’t respond with any quips; he just looks at him expectantly. So he continues. “She told me when we were on lookout together, waiting for the receiver to go off. She wished she could play it for me to calm my nerves, or cheer me up, maybe. I can’t remember her exact words. I guess...I’m just a little disheartened that I never got to hear her play.”

“Hmm...well, she was the Ultimate Pianist. It’d probably sound just like the tape, so you’re recreating it pretty well. Unless being an Ultimate means she puts her own spin on every piece, like it’s a remix? I guess I wouldn’t know, being a leader instead of a musician!” Kokichi says.

It’s a total tangent, but Shuichi can’t say he hasn’t been wondering. “What’s the deal with your whole ‘Ultimate Supreme Leader’ thing, anyway?”

“I already told you, I’m the supreme leader of a secret organization with over 10,000 members!” Kokichi boasts.

“...So you’ve said. But I can’t think of any organization like that.” Shuichi sighs.

“Well, duh. It’s a secret. But I mean, I’ve told you I’m a liar, too!”

“Yes, you have.” he says, ready to just let it go at that. He was too tired tonight.

“The part about me running an organization is true, though! We control everything from behind the scenes. All the world’s mafia syndicates and politicians are under my command. I can make one phone call and the world changes. Let me know if you ever get bored!” Kokichi grins.

That has to be a lie, Shuichi thinks. Honestly, he regrets questioning Kokichi about this now. It’s only exacerbating the searing pain coursing through his head, and he can’t make any sense of what Kokichi actually means to say.

“You shouldn’t think like that, Shuichi! ‘That has to be a lie,’ you say..” Kokichi smiles slyly.

“Ah!” Shuichi explains in recognition. “I’m sorry, I--”

“Aha, I knew it! I can actually read minds!....Just kidding. It was actually pretty obvious what you were thinking. Niishishi, you’re gonna die from stress if you keep thinking like that, Saihara-chan.” Kokichi shrugs. “Of course, now that you know about my organization, you have to die anyway!”

“W-what?!” Shuichi almost flails back with a startle. Death was definitely not something he wanted to think more about now. Though it wasn’t entirely without its appeal. “B-but I didn’t even ask you. You told me.”

“Did I? Oopsie, guess I did! Sowwy! I guess I’ll let you live for now, since I messed up. But I’ll kill you eventually!” Kokichi says nonchalantly.

“You’re..not serious, right?” Shuichi asks.

“Yeah, for realsies! I hate liars and jokes! Haha, just kidding. I guess you’ll just have to find out, won’t you?” Kokichi then proceeds to stand up, bouncing on the balls of his heels. “Oh, and by the way--you look better without that shabby hat of yours.”

At this, Shuichi instantly pats his head. Sure enough, his cap is missing. How did he not notice that? Filled with embarrassment, and feeling suddenly naked, a blush creeps across his cheeks.

“Haha, did you really not notice you weren’t wearing it? Wow, you really are out of it. Really, though, it’s a good look on you. Or should I say, off you. You have nice eyes, and you’ve gotta look people in the eye more. Akamatsu probably would have wanted that, knowing her.” Kokichi assures. Despite his general confusion towards Kokichi, Shuichi thinks he...might be genuine at the moment?

“...Maybe I’ll think about retiring it.” Shuichi mumbles absentmindedly.

“Yeah, do that! Welp, I’m gonna head off. You should get some sleep, if you can. Seeya, Saihara-chan!” Kokichi bids him farewell before practically leaping out the door, before Shuichi can get even a single word more in their conversation. If it could be called that. What even was that exchange? If he thought he had had any understanding of the boy previously, it was wiped out of the picture now.

Well, Shuichi had to admit, despite the new cloud of thoughts fogging his mind, their interaction had distracted him a bit from the weight he carried on his shoulders. In a way, coming here had been...comforting. Maybe his soulmate’s prank hadn’t been such a bad thing after all.

As the soft music faded out, Shuichi rises and powers down the machine. He folds up the crumpled tissues and throws them in a nearby waste bin. Kokichi was right; he should try to get some shut-eye. Somehow, he felt like he might be able to this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of this dialogue was indeed extracted from ouma's FTEs don't shoot me i just like them a lot  
> midterms are almost over so hopefully i will be able to update more frequently in the coming weeks!!


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